Paula's Story
“If you notice any changes in your body, get them checked out. It could be nothing, but it could be something as well – and the only person who can make that informed judgement is a doctor.”
Paula Carroll, 70, from Oranmore, Co. Galway was diagnosed with bowel cancer in June 2018. Paula initially thought her only symptom was a minor one, until her GP referred her for a colonoscopy.
“I phoned my GP one day on the way into work, and said, just a note to add into my file – bit of blood out of the back passage,” says Paula. “My GP reacted immediately and said, ‘I don’t like the sound of that, I’ll get you seen to’. He made sure I got an appointment for a colonoscopy.
“I had the colonoscopy a few weeks later. Afterwards, a doctor came into me and told me I had bowel cancer. I asked her, ‘How bad is it?’. She said it was serious, but not so advanced that it couldn’t be dealt with. That gave me great comfort.”
On the 2nd of August, Paula had a PET scan before undergoing surgery to remove the tumour in her bowel. The results of the scan concerned the doctors, who sent her for a mammogram after her surgery.
“It was a five-hour surgery,” remembers Paula. “Afterwards, when I was recovering, a nurse came in and said she’d like to bring me down for a mammogram. I asked why, because I’d already had one in the January just gone and it had come back clear. The nurse just told me I might as well get it done again while I was there. So, I went for the mammogram.
"Three or four days later, it was revealed that I had breast cancer. I thought it was a joke. But I did have a family history of breast cancer, my sister had previously been diagnosed with it and some of my cousins have had it too."
“I asked if it was operable and removable. They said yes, which immediately meant I didn’t have to worry. It was out of my hands and completely out of my control, so it was like I could hand over that worry of removing the tumour to the medics. All I could do was trust their ability and their judgement.”
On the 31st of August 2018, Paula had a lumpectomy. She then had chemotherapy to treat her bowel cancer, followed by radiotherapy for her breast cancer. She returned to work after taking eight months off while undergoing treatment. She regularly goes for follow-up scans, which have all come back clear.
Paula is sharing her story to encourage people to get any changes they notice checked by their GP, and to show that there is hope after a cancer diagnosis.
“Nobody knows your body more than you,” says Paula. “If you notice anything untoward, alert your GP. Go to your BreastCheck appointments, do your BowelCheck screening, follow up on any health concerns you have.
“If you’ve been diagnosed with cancer, please don’t despair or worry too much. Focus on the positives. Don’t lose heart, but I know that’s easier said than done.
“Go out for a walk, smell the fresh air, rely on people for support, whether that be your friends and family or the Irish Cancer Society, and talk about how you’re feeling. And remember, there is life after a cancer diagnosis.”
